Wonderful Journey
by Senashenta
Summary: At the edge of a Starfield, the Grove Born stallion and his Chosen say their goodbyes. For the Herald, life is over- for the stallion, a new one is just beginning.


**Disclaimer: **Valdemar and concepts belong to Mercedes Lackey; Saet Bronworth belongs to Firefox; lyrics are to "Wonderful Journey" by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis, and this fic and other Original Characters belong to their author.

**Notes:** Gwydion ("Dion") is one of my characters (the Grove Born stallion) from the Valdemar Calling RPG—and he Chose Saet, who is one of Firefox's characters, which makes her Monarch's Own (despite her attitude and love of sharp, pointy objects).

In any case, I heard this song and thought of them… dunno' why, really. But I like the result, so does it really matter? Enjoy!

**WONDERFUL JOURNEY  
By Senashenta**

_-  
We were strangers, starting out on a journey,  
Never dreaming, what we'd have to go through.  
Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing,  
At the beginning with you…  
-_

The night skies were alive with Stars, each one the soul of a Herald—or Companion—each one shining happily down on Valdemar, content to watch from above until their time came to once again protect her with mortal arms—and as she surveyed the star field, she didn't need to look to know he was with her.

She could Feel him, as she always could, just beside her. Silent, watchful, comforting—he hadn't always been such wonderful company.

In fact, there had been a time when she hated him, and he her.

But that was a long time ago. Ages ago; a lifetime in the past, and next thing to forgotten by everyone… except for them. She remembered, of course, the righteous anger—the hatred—as if it had only existed yesterday.

_:I remember, too, Saet.:_

"I'm surprised." She replied with familiar sarcasm, "I figured you'd have forgotten in your old age."

Considering he was ageless, it was a pointless statement.

_-  
No one told me I was going to find you,  
Unexpected, what you did to my heart.  
When I lost hope, you were there to remind me,  
This is the start…  
-_

The lights were calling to her, and yet his presence pinned her where she was, crystal eyes watching the glow of the Havens—which was so close, and yet so very far away. She wanted him to leave, and let _her_ leave as well… but she also wanted him to stay.

_She fell into the righteous anger, drowned in it, saw through sapphire tinted eyes how gorgeous her country was, and how horrendous was anything thinking to harm it. It burnt her heart and mind, the cleansing silver fire raged through her, touching everything, leaving nothing but pure white in its wake._

—just as she had the first time she had seen him, a fleeting light in the darkness she hadn't even realized she lived in.

Not that she would tell _him_ that, given the size of his ego already. She figured it was a natural part of being what he was—and what he would always be, no matter how she wished things could be different.

"You can't come with me."

_:I know.:_ Sadness in his voice, _:I'm sorry.:_

_-  
And life is a road that I want to keep going,  
Love is a river, I want to keep flowing,  
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey…  
I'll be there when the world stops turning,  
I'll be there when the storm is through,  
In the end I wanna be standing,  
At the beginning with you.  
-_

"It's funny," she commented, "but this is about as opposite as you could get from what I figured my life would turn out like."

He was silent, waiting for more—and there was _always_ more. He had learned to be patient so long ago it was second nature to him now… but she had learned many thing along with him, and knew how he hated to be kept waiting.

Almost as much as _she_ hated it.

"Considering the way things started out for me, being a Herald was the farthest thing from my mind."

Her being a Herald had been the farthest thing from _his_ mind as well, the first time they met; foolhardy, stubborn and opinionated were not qualities normally cherished in the Queen's Arrows, never mind the Monarch's Own—and neither were spitfire tempers and an affinity with sharp objects, for that matter.

She was picking up on his thoughts, and he felt the need to say something; _:I sure know how to pick them, don't I?:_

_-  
We were strangers on a crazy adventure  
Never dreaming how our dreams would come true  
Now here we stand, unafraid of the future  
At the beginning with you.  
-_

"Of all the things I could have done, going with you was probably the stupidest."

Coming from anyone else, the sentence would have been insulting. As it was, he could only chuckle at the overtones of amusement and affection that came along with the words—no matter how many times she claimed the opposite, she was truly happy with her life and position. And with him? Surely…

He was happy with her. It was something that had taken time to develop, and quite a bit of prying to get him to admit it, but in the end he was glad to have Chosen her. She was a kindred spirit, after all, and he was probably closer to her than he had been to any the other Heralds he had Bonded in his various lives.

"Give me a break." She snorted, interrupting his mulling, "it's not like you to get sappy."

_:Well excuse me for reminiscing.: _A mental rolling of eyes, _:I happen to have a lot to remember.:_

"And I don't? If you hadn't dragged me n' Callie away from the farm, we coulda' lived normally but instead ya' showed up with yer Respect Me For I Am The Grove Born, holier-than-thou attitude and grabbed me up without so much as a—" a frustrated noise and she stopped; she knew better than anyone that ranting at him would get her nowhere, and she had been beginning to lapse back into her country accent.

_:You certainly forgot about Callista fast enough in that little tirade.:_ He said, then added; _:what would you have preferred? To have your sister spirited away to become a Herald, but you remain unChosen and have to stay behind?:_

Grumpy now. "Of course not."

_-  
Like is a road and I wanna' keep going  
Love is a river I wanna' keep flowing  
Life is a road now and forever  
Wonderful Journey  
I'll be there when the world stops turning  
I'll be there when the storm is through  
In the end I want to be standing  
At the beginning with you.  
-_

He moved to stand closer to her. _:You don't actually wish I had left you be, do you?:_

She glanced at him. "Maybe I do."

_:Then you'd be a liar.:_ He told her cheerfully, _:because I happen to know differently.:_

"Damn ponies, pryin' inside people's heads." She muttered, but didn't sound angry about it—it was something she complained about regularly, and next thing to a joke between them. "So you think you know me, do you?"

_:Being stuck inside someone else's mind will do that to you.:_

The fleeting sadness she had felt before was gone now, as the two of them fell back into the familiar pattern of friendly arguing and banter they were both used to, and he could feel her relax—she couldn't know, but it was not him that was holding her back from the star field before them.

Her own reluctance held her where she was.

But once she was calm…

_-  
Knew there was somebody somewhere  
Like me, alone in the dark  
Now I know my dream will live on  
I've been waiting so long  
Nothing's going to tear us apart.  
-_

_:You know, I think I'd like to take a vacation after this.:_ He announced abruptly, catching her off guard. It didn't happen often, and even given the circumstances he found he was pleased when she blinked and looked at him in surprise. _:It's been a long time since I had one, and I think I deserve it! You know the kind of things that I have to deal with every day, don't _you _think it's a good idea?:_

It was the wrong thing to say, and he regretted it immediately when bitterness welled inside her to travel along their Bond. "I would… but I can't go with you."

The idea of him enjoying himself right after…

It was a painful thought.

_:I'm sorry.:_ An uncomfortable pause, and he reached to touch her cheek with his nose. _:I'm sorry, I shouldn't have… I didn't think.:_

"What else is new?"

_:If… it makes you feel better, I won't do it.:_ He added, and gave her a soulful a look as he could pull off. _:I'll stay in Haven and work my tail off. I'll deal with the Council in Full Session! I'll…:_ he couldn't help but shudder, _:—babysit—: _

_-  
And life is a road and I wanna' keep going  
Love is a river I wanna' keep flowing  
Life is a road now and forever  
Wonderful Journey  
I'll be there when the world stops turning  
I'll be there when the storm is through  
In the end I want to be standing  
At the beginning with you.  
-_

Their somewhat mutual dislike of small child-beasts (as he so eloquently put it) was only one of many things that made them so compatible. Strangely, despite initial misgivings and the fighting they had done in the past, there wasn't a moment he would have taken back, given the choice.

She couldn't help but snicker at the stricken expression on his face, "I would never ask you to look after children—I don't condone any punishment of the cruel and unusual variety."

_:Oh good.:_

"Feel free to deal with Full Council in my stead, though."

_:And _that's_ not cruel and unusual?:_

_-  
Life is a road and I wanna' keep going  
Love is a river I wanna' keep flowing on…  
-_

Calling from Beyond.

_:You have to leave now.:_

"Or I never will?"

_:I wouldn't say that… but if you don't I may never be able to let you go.:_

She met his gaze, both happy and sad, and it was clear to him how tired she actually was. In a single lifetime, she had been though more than any ten Valdemarians… only _he_ had been though more, and he was immortal. While he didn't want her to leave, he understood that her time had come.

_:I wonder…:_ he whispered, _:if _I'll_ ever be able to rest.:_

She forced a laugh, "with me gone, you can relax for the first time in years."

Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to share in the joke. He just didn't feel like laughing. _:I should go, so you can be on your way.:_

It hurt too much for him to watch her leave—

"I'll… see you again." She promised. "Alright?"

_:Yes…:_

_-  
Starting out on a journey…  
-_

A mixture of grief and joy…

Sadly, his pulled his mind back from the Havens, leaving her behind; it wasn't the first time he'd had to let go, but it never got easier. It was times like that when he wished he could cry—and indeed, he grieved in his own way.

With hope, his eyes turned out toward the Collegium, where the sun was just beginning to rise over the buildings.

A new day.

And as the Death Bell started to toll and the by now familiar twinge of his new Calling began to pulse behind his eyes, he looked toward the sky, where her Star would shine until the day she was reborn. _:Goodbye, Sae.:_

_:Goodbye Gwydion.:_

_-  
Life is a road and I wanna' keep going  
Love is a river I wanna' keep flowing  
In the end I want to be standing  
At the beginning  
-_

He started toward the stables, silver hooves silent in the grass—he had someone to find. The next person he would share his life with—and though they would soon be as important to him as she had ever been, he would never forget…

He would never forget.

And someday, maybe, they would meet again.

_-  
With you…  
-_


End file.
